Curiosity of Strangers
by SarcAkri
Summary: The twins Bella and John(OC) arrive in Forks. They soon realize that the town is vastly different from Arizona. Facing super-natural enemies the twins will need to decide who they can trust. But the lines between "good and evil" are blurry, filled with hidden agendas and old history.
1. Chapter 1

First time author of fiction. So please do provide feedback. But try to avoid including spoilers.

I have intentionally kept the summary vague, to enhance the experience reading the story.

This is not a Edward/Bella story.

Rated mature for later chapters and language.

Disclaimer: The central story line and all publicly recognizable characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Original content can be used freely.

**Prologue**

"What good is school anyway?" John asked, he was resting in the shade against an old oak. He was watching his friends and classmates enter the main building from the school yard. Bella sat up and sighed, "We got to get back to class John. We have him all semester, so you will have to face him sooner or later. You know it won't get any easier facing Mr. Jameson". Bella got up and extended a hand to help him up her twin. John looked at her with a scowl but relented and grabbed the hand. "You know he is not going to let it go sis…". Bella frowned and started walking.

It hadn't been one of John's brightest moments to blurt out Mr. Jameson's indiscretions in the middle of class. Sometimes his temper got the better of him. "Probably not, but at least no one has told Mrs. Jameson, so I doubt he wants to drag you into another hot-headed argument", Bella offered. John looked away and tensed up a bit but relaxed again. "That was a bit of a back-handed reassurance, but I guess you are right. I will try to do better at keeping my temper". John and Bella entered the main building and walked through the corridors to the classroom, John sent me one last look and entered our classroom.

Bella was right. Mr. Jameson frowned when he locked eyes with John. But he kept quiet and looked back down into his book. John and Bella started to pack out books, pencils and paper for class. Bella had sat down in the seat behind John to keep an eye on him. He was a bit of a troublemaker, and in many ways a complete opposite of Bella.

John probably didn't mean to bring up Mr. Jameson's affair. But sometimes his 'mental flashes' just appeared out of nowhere. So a few days ago, John suddenly flashed in the middle of one of the biology lectures. Mr. Jameson mistook it for yet another case of John not paying attention in class and confronted him. Needless to say John went in defensive and ended up bursting out "yeah well maybe you shouldn't sleep around". The entire class went quiet and Mr. Jameson went from completely pale to hot red and yelled at John to leave the classroom. Not much more had come of it, not even detention. This was probably due to Mr. Jameson trying to keep it, from getting to his wife.

John looked up from his notes and noticed that Mr. Jameson had started to write on the blackboard. He decided to look back at Bella who gave him a reassuring half-smile before returning to her notes. The remainder of the class went by with only a few heated glares between John and the teacher. After the final class of the day John and Bella headed home in relative quiet. "What do you think of Phil?" John asked, not making eye contact. Bella looked at him trying to determine what he was getting at. "I think Mom loves him. But I don't think she is too happy with the arrangement they have made". John glanced over but looked back down again and frowned. "I don't like him much, but they do look happy", he conceded. "I think he is mostly just waiting for us to leave when he visits", he continued. Bella wanted to disagree but she felt the same way for the most part. "Maybe we should move to Forks with Charlie?" They said in unison.

**Chapter one**

The first thing that met the twins was the freezing cold. They had flown in from Arizona and had just left the airplane walking on the tarmac at Forks airport. John looked at Bella, "How did you convince me to move to Forks?" he asked, closing his jacket further in a theatric display to underline his point. Bella smirked and shook her head, "That was a mutual decision as I recall it". John huffed and was about to protest when she interrupted him. "Don't even try. Aren't you looking forward to seeing Charlie again?". John smiled at that and dropped it. "You know - I heard that Mrs. Jameson kicked Mr. Jameson to the curb when she finally found out?" he said, smiling at the thought. Bella sighed and shook her head, "I heard. I feel sorry for his wife, she seemed nice and didn't deserve it". John scuffed and had the decency to look contrite as his smile faded and nodded.

They walked through the terminal building and exited the airport. Bella looked at John and asked, "Have you had any flashes since the incident?" John thought for a minute, "Well I do get a glimpse of people's mood and feelings from time to time, but no full-out flashes". Bella looked at him and continued, "Have you ever read me?" she asked. John thought back for a moment. He had had plenty of flashes of emotions from both Phil and Renée. Some of which he had wished he could have, but he had never had one from Bella. "No never. Maybe it is because we are twins?" Bella was about to say something, but was cut off by Charlie's friendly voice, "Hey kids it is so good to see you both".

Both John and Bella turned and smiled at their father. "Hey dad good to see you too" Bella started and John nodded, and asked "Can we hurry to your car? It is really cold up here". Charlie nodded and smiled back. "How was the flight?" he asked. Bella was about to answer, when she noticed that John had lost the attention on the conversation. He was looking very wary at a nondescript older guy. Bella studied the older gentleman, who seemed to be relaxing at a bench, just outside the terminal building. He had a long trench coat on and was sipping on a cup of coffee, while reading a local newspaper. Charlie noticed as well and mentioned, "That is Mr. Jackson. He is one of the history and sociology teachers at your new school". John tensed up further, "What is he doing here?" he asked. Charlie being somewhat oblivious to John's discomfort chuckled and said, "I'm sure he is waiting for someone, perhaps his children too?" John didn't look like he thought that was the reason, but said nothing. "Let's talk later" Bella whispered to him and got a nod. Bella glanced back and nearly stumbled as Mr. Jackson looked straight at her. He looked concerned, but looked at Charlie and waved. Charlie waved back and turned to Bella and John, "let's head home".

During the drive home the trio managed to have a pleasant conversation. The twins mood dropped a bit though when Charlie mentioned that he had managed to get them into the local school and that they would be starting in school two days later.

Charlie's house was an older two story house with white wooden panels. The place looked rather unkempt compared to what Bella remembered, but it was nice enough to still feel like home. Charlie led Bella and John up to their rooms upstairs to make sure everything was as they wanted it. The rooms was kept as the twins had left them. With the addition of a few cobwebs and slightly stale air. "I kept the rooms as you left them. Let me know if you need anything. I bought some school supplies, but I wasn't quite sure what you need, so I just got the basics." He looked slightly embarrassed. "It is fine Dad, thanks. I am sure we will figure it out" John said. "Yes Dad thank you. What have you planned for dinner tonight?" Bella asked. Charlie scratched his neck, "Well there are some toast and some tins with beans and…" he paused looking at the twins scrunched up faces. He sighed and offered "We could go get something from the local store." Bella smiled at him, "It is fine dad, John and I can walk there – It will give us some time to look around town as well". John Nodded in consent, they needed to talk about the events at the airport.

As they left the house Bella started, "That guy, Mr. Jackson… you saw something didn't you? Did you get a flash?" John considered how to explain it, then offered, "There is definitely something about him that isn't right. I didn't get a flash as such though. It was more a lack of any readings at all, much like when I try to read you. I have this buzzing feeling around everyone else. But around you, and now him, there is nothing. Another thing that surprised me was Dad's comment. How old would you say he looked?" Bella thought for a second then offered "Well... Older than Charlie. Maybe late forties or early fifties. Why do you ask?" John looked pensive, "I had my suspicion but this confirms it. Something definitely doesn't add up". Bella looked disturbed and John tried to reassure her, "listen it might be nothing. It was pretty early and we have had a long flight. But he seemed a good deal younger to me." It didn't console her much and John wasn't in the best frame of mind himself. As they approached the grocery store they, John nodded towards it and said, "We're almost there, let us go get groceries I'm starving".

Bella was deep in thought after John's revelation. Knowing that John had some kind of ability, told her that there probably was others out there. But this was so odd and completely unexpected. It did seem like John was serious though, he had a terrible poker face so Bella would have picked up on it. Charlie mentioned that he apparently worked at the school as a teacher. So there was a chance that the twins would end up having him in one or more of their classes. Bella walked through the frozen foods section and looked at the prepared dishes available. She considered settling for something easy, as she didn't have the energy to prepare any dishes. John and Charlie was unfortunately no help in the kitchen. Bella shook her head thinking of a few episodes in the past where John had tried preparing a meal. He ended up messing up the whole kitchen, even the ceiling was dirtied in some inexplicable way. And in the middle of it all stood John trying to act as if everything was in perfect order. Bella was interrupted in her train of thought, by a woman's voice. "Hello dear. I don't believe I have met you before, are you new in town?" Bella turned and looked at a charming and elegant woman, brown hair and in her late twenties-early thirties. Bella instantly got very awkward and fumbled with her words. "Yes, hi. Well no I have lived here when I was a kid, but that is some years ago now. Uhm. It is nice to meet you too." The woman smiled warmly and extended her hand "I am Esme and you are?" Bella mentally kicked herself and took the outstretched hand. "I am Bella, Bella Swan – Charlie the sheriff is my dad". Bella briefly found it strange how Esme's hand was unusually cold, but figured it made sense since they were walking around the frozen foods section. Esme picked up the conversation again "Ah yes the sheriff, I can see that - you have his eyes". It looked like Esme was about to continue the conversation, when John came from another section of the store looking slightly puzzled and apprehensive. Bella waved him over and offered, "This is my brother, twin brother, John". Esme looked from Bella to John and smiled extending her hand again. John was hesitant and looked at her for a moment before reaching the hand, "nice to meet you John, I am Esme. You do look much alike". John froze briefly but smiled back "nice to meet you too Esme. I hopefully look more masculine." He half-joked but immediately regretted it. Esme chuckled but nodded good naturedly, and continued "I live nearby with my husband and kids. You will likely meet them at school when you start." John offered to look after them, but Esme just smiled. "It is very kind of you but I am sure that my kids can take care of themselves". She gave the twins a rough description of the five kids and told them not to hesitate approaching them. Apparently Esme and her husband had adopted them all into their family; which would explain how they could all be in high school. They said their goodbyes and left the store, after filling several shopping bags with groceries.

As John and Bella walked back John muttered under his breath, that the whole town was off. Bella caught the utterance and looked expectantly at him to clarify. "It is just… Esme, did you notice how cold her hand was?" Bella chuckled. "Well we did walk around in the frozen foods section…" John considered this and countered, "She didn't have any frozen foods in her bag". Bella smile wavered, "Maybe she was still looking". John just nodded, "it did seem more likely, maybe my tinfoil hat was on a little tight after the encounter this morning. Maybe I'm putting more into it than there is." Bella nodded and said, "We need a good meal and some sleep when we get home. Tomorrow we can investigate your crazy theories." She smiled and stuck out her tongue. John huffed "What are you, five? And what are you getting at calling me crazy?"

Esme smiled to herself looking at the twins leave. Bella and John continued to joke with each other. They seemed much more relaxed now and she started to regret approaching Bella. But there was something about Bella that drove Esme to her, more than just the blood. Both John and Bella was more attuned to the real world than most humans, and their keen observations could mean trouble around her kids. She needed to warn them and prepare them before they meet the Swan twins. Esme walked back to her car and noticed Mr. Jackson across the parking lot getting into his car as well. She smiled and waved at him and he did the same. Both Alice and Edward had him in class. They said he was curious and a very private person, but one of the best teachers they had. He apparently had an excellent insight into human history. Edward couldn't help but add that his knowledge did have some great gaps. She sighed at the thought, 100 years old and he still acted like a teen. Maybe this cover-life did more harm than good to him. Esme drove off to meet with Carlisle at the hospital. It was almost lunch time and Carlisle needed an excuse to not sit and pretend eating in the hospital cafeteria.

As John and Bella entered the house Charlie came out to help them with the bags. "How was the city?" he asked and John mentioned that they just went to the grocery store. While putting some vegetable away Bella added "We met Esme there, she is quite nice. Do you know her?" Charlie nodded and said "Sure I know the Cullens, it is a big family. They live a little outside the city from what I've heard. Esme and Carlisle have five kids…" John cut him off before he could finish, "yes she mentioned that. Have they lived here long?" He was cutting some bread, preparing a sandwich and picked out some fruit and a glass of juice. "Some years, not too long though. Carlisle works at the hospital. With his skills he could have worked at any hospital he wanted, so we are very lucky they chose to settle here". The remainder of the day went by with Charlie catching up on what had happened with the twins since he saw them last. Later they started unpacking the few things they had brought with them from Arizona. During the evening Charlie was watching TV while the twins relaxed in John's room upstairs. Bella kept thinking about all that had happened during the day, "This town is not quite what we are used to." John looked up. He appeared to be just idly shuffling through some of the luggage he brought. He pushed the bag away, "You have that right. I honestly don't know what to think of it all. Guess we will see what happens Monday.". Bella sighed, "Can't wait. Anyway, I should go unpack my things and get ready for bed. See you tomorrow John." John nodded, "See you sis". John had too much on his mind and lay in bed twisting and turning before he finally managed to drift off.

_This was a mess created by a stubborn and impatient prince. Instead of waiting for my division of soldiers, he had decided that we could easily make it and attack Kedash before the Hittie army would reach us. Even after we had extracted information from their pathetic scouts. Now instead we were facing a force three times our own with superior chariots and stronger bows. As the good bodyguard I was I stayed by his side and directed my elite guard and kept quiet. The pay was good and his goals agreed with our own so we were helping for now. Our flanks was wearing thin and it would only be a matter of time before we would be overrun. "We need to go now Ramesses, I cannot keep you safe against a force this size", I glanced around to my officers who for now hold of the enemies, by flinging the enemies like rack-dolls through the crowds of Hitties. The element of surprise was lost, as was the grace of combat which by now was more of a brawl than actual battle. I looked back at Ramesses, he was lost in indecision and panic. I cut through to him and commanded "We are retreating now!" before I noticed a handful of riders approaching us from the flank. I grabbed my bow and shot at the chariots hitting a handful of riders before they closed the gap. There was no more time to wait. I grabbed the prince and bolted off yelling after my companions to join us when they could._

_With only the prince as baggage, we managed to get to the camp where my soldiers were stationed. For humans they excelled even with their limited abilities. Through superior training, discipline and equipment they far outmatched the rest of the Egyptian army. Teaching them how to deal with non-humans helped them prepare for the upcoming battle as well. I put Rameses down just outside camp that afforded him a minimum of composure and dignity before entering the camp. "Are you ready to proceed to your camp Prince Rameses?" I asked trying to reign in my pride and avoid stroking the prince against his hairs. It was clearly working. His expression changed from fear to a scowl and he huffed "Of course I am Amon. We did good in that battle, didn't we?" I fought hard to not roll my eyes and merely nodded. "You did well, but it isn't over yet", I agreed. Hopefully the soldiers in my division would stay under my command so we could come out of this war alive. _

_I was about to walk with the prince towards the camp when I heard them. Those damn wolves had tracked us and was approaching fast. Fortunately I could hear my officers yelling – they were on the way here. The relief however was short-lived as I realized one of the elder-weres had snuck up on me. I Jumped out of the way just in time as the freight-train of a wolf attempted to slash my throat. I didn't clear his charge though and got shoved to the ground. No longer caring about the prince, my survival instincts kicked in and I rolled out of the way. I was on my feet again, as the heavy paw crashed into the ground. "You are no match for me Amon" The wolf sneered in a strained animalistic hiss. My pride got the better of me and I retorted "Coming from you fur-ball means no-" but was caught by my neck in the same moment by another ware who had taken the opportunity while I was distracted. The fangs dug in and excruciating pain shut through my body and everything darkened._

John woke screaming in panic, and he looked franticly around the room. He was completely covered in sweat and his heart was racing in his throat. He put his hand to his neck to feel where the ware had bitten. Fortunately he only felt the strong beat of his pulse under the skin. The door sprung open wide letting in light from the hallway and Bella came rushing into his room. She sat on the edge of the bed hugging him tight. "Relax. It is ok. It is me. You had a nightmare." John shivered trying to calm down, as he leaned into her shoulder for support. "That felt way too real to be a nightmare." he frowned, Charlie entered the room slowly, "Are you ok John?" John nodded, "Yeah. I just need a little time, thanks Dad." Charlie stayed a little bit, then scratched his head and slowly left the room again going back downstairs. Bella squeezed John's shoulder and looked at him one more time before getting up to go. "Try to get some sleep John, you're safe here". John nodded and said thank you, but as he laid back down he considered the last part. 'Safe', he certainly didn't feel safe at that moment.

Bella had prepared breakfast for John and Charlie, but only Charlie had made it to the table. During the breakfast Charlie tried to continue the conversation on what he had missed since the twins visited last time. It quickly lead to last night's event, "Has John had many of these night terrors before?" Charlie asked after a while. Bella looked up into concerned eyes and considered it then shook her head. "No, not that I know of." Charlie looked up towards John's room then back to Bella, "I think I should talk with him when he comes downstairs. But at least he seemed to calm down quickly."

Topic dropped he continued, "I invited Billy and Jacob to come over later. I mentioned that you would be staying here with me for a while, and they wanted to say hi." The confused expression on Bella's face prompted Charlie to explain further "The Blacks, you remember little Jacob, don't you? He was a few years younger than you and John, but he came to visit from time to time with his dad Billy." Bella started to recall. Jacob would always come to visit when Charlie and Billy went to watch the game on TV. She didn't manage to reply before John was heard walking down the stairs. "Common Bella you have to remember Jacob. He was pretty much glued to you whenever they were over here." Bella scowled looking at John. Apparently last night was forgotten, or more likely he was trying to distance himself from it. "It wasn't that bad." She managed to defend, before her brain could react. John's smirk meant another jab was on the way "Don't." She warned and he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, I'm sure he has matured since then". Still waiting for the second jab Bella tried to change the topic, "So what happened last night?" John rubbed his neck then looked and nodded in greetings to Charlie. "Hey Charlie." Charlie just nodded. Then John continued "I'm not sure Bella. Some weird dream about ancient warriors and the next thing I know, I am being attack by a wolf". "Well the wolves around here don't attack people" Charlie offered and John nodded "Thanks. That is good to know, puts me at ease". John might be able to fool Charlie, but Bella knew him better, and could see that he was still concerned. There was probably more to the story than he led on, but she didn't push.

Carlisle was sitting outside the Swans house in a hideout downwind from the house. He didn't really have a good view of the new arrivals. He could still hear their voices though, which carried easy enough through the air. It was the old tracker instincts that had lead him to the leeside of the house. It also reduced the risk that any accidental noises he would make would be heard at the house. After talking with Esme he was curious about these twins that had caught his wife's attention, and while he hadn't been there long he did manage to hear enough to be slightly concerned. This young human's clipped description of his dream and the slightly elevated pitch of his voice suggested that he was still stressed by the nightmare. He likely held back parts of the story. His completely un-phased reaction to Charlie's mention of the wolves in the forest suggested that they weren't the wolves he had dreamt of. Carlisle would definitely need to warn his kids to be extra careful around these two. It wouldn't do anyone any good if they found out the truth about either the Quileute tribe or the Cullens coven. He slowly withdrew from his hideout just as a car approach the house and he returned home.

"They are here" Charlie shouted from the living room. John got off his bed and knocked on Bella's door, "Charming's here Bella, no more time for makeup". A groan was heard from the other side of the door, and Bella opened with a murderous look, "You promised!" She started pushing and pinning John against the wall. With a finger pointing threateningly at him. "Behave or you will regret it…", "Right, right. Sorry. No more teasing you about Jacob" he relented. Bella let go and started to descend the stairs and John muttered "He wouldn't peg you for a princess regardless, bully." While rubbing a sour spot on his shoulder. Unfortunately for John she heard, and turned with a warning "The score will be settled tonight." Then she turned and headed out the front door. John slowly followed, in spite of the teasing he actually quite liked Jacob. He was a bit clingy, but he seemed to be a pretty good guy.

As John approached the group he could see Charlie reintroducing Bella to Billy and Jacob. "…and this is John, as I am sure you remember." Billy nodded and Jacob waved. "Hey guys, good to see you again." John said simply. He could feel Bella's warning glare drilling a hole in the side of his head. He distractedly rubbed his shoulder from when she pinned him. John zoned out for most of the conversations that followed thinking of the nightmare last night. He was only partly aware of some blushing and awkward stares between Bella and Jacob. Apparently he wasn't the only one having fun at their expense. Then Charlie walked over to the red pickup and called for all of their attention, "I figured you would need some transportation around town and to school. So I spoke with Billy here and we got this one for you. What do you think?" Bella gave Charlie a big hug and got into the car "Wow Dad this is perfect!" John walked up next to Charlie and gave him a nod, "This means a lot Dad, Thank you." John then went around the back of the car to Jacob. Jacob explained excitedly that he had helped rebuild the engine and we walked in front of the car to have a look. John quickly realized he didn't know much about cars, but the car looked well kept. Jacob proceeded to explain the details of the rework and John started to appreciate the time he had put into it. They closed the hood and Jacob got into the passenger side while John walked over to talk with Billy and Charlie.

Later that day John and Bella took a drive around town after Jacob and Billy had left. The twins wanted to get their bearings in the town and see the surrounding area. Bella drove and John looked at a map Charlie had given them when they had told him about the plan. They drove to the school which was located in the opposite end of the city to Charlie's house. The distance wasn't that great but Bella couldn't see herself walking that far, so they would need the car to get to and from school. A great deal of the other public buildings were located out here as well.

They continued driving for a while past the hospital Esme's husband was working at. They turned down a side street by Johns request and came to a small bakery on one side and the library on the other. "So where to now?" Bella asked while John was looking out the window. "Actually can we stop here?" he asked. Bella looked around, but didn't see what could have caught his interest. "Sure, what are we doing here?" Bella asked. John nodded in the direction of the library, "John you don't read" Bella stated. John frowned "Of course I do, that is kind of expected when you're in school." Bella didn't bite into that one, John just wanted to distract her. "Ok fine, but since we haven't started yet could you clue me in on… Is it about the nightmare?" John nodded "Yeah, I want to get some books about…" He hesitated and looked to consider what to say, then volunteered. "I need some books on wolves and ancient Egypt." John opened the door, effectively preventing Bella from asking anything further. "You are going to have to tell me more than that John" She stated while rushing after John. John slowed down and looked back, "I know and I will, but let us get some books first, then we can have a look at it at home together. Deal?" Bella nodded and walked into the library with John.

They started picking out some books on both topics. While John continued to look around, Bella sat down at a computer and keyed in 'animals in ancient Egypt'. Not too surprising no wolves were listed, so she started looking for similar animals. After a while John came back, "Egypt didn't have wolves at that time. Are you sure it was Egypt?" She asked, but John just nodded. "Then it couldn't have been a wolf." John hesitated a bit then said, "We can talk about it at home. I got a few extra books on other topics, that might explain it". Bella tried to take a peek but John didn't let her, "At home." He restated while smiling teasingly. By now it was more of a game between them, one Bella didn't intend on loosing. As they exited the library she suggested he should drive home to get a feel for the car. Not thinking much of it John got the keys and Bella took the passenger seat.

While John was busy making the way back to the house Bella snuck out a couple of the books and started reading them. "Werewolves and shape shifters John – really?" She mocked him. John frowned, realizing what she had done, "So that's why I had to drive. Good one. Sometimes it very clear who is the younger one of us". Bella rolled her eyes, "By 5 minutes John I don't think that counts. This morning didn't count in your favor either…" John smiled but left it there and answered the underlying question, "The nightmare was very detailed, as if I actually was experiencing it. I can still remember most of it, but I wrote it down last night to be sure. I just looked up the battle that was mentioned. I have never heard of it before, but sure enough it was in there. The battle of Kedash took place in 1274 BC… The battle was actually in Syria, but the army I was following was Egyptian".

They approached Charlie's house and John and Bella walked inside in silence. Charlie greeted them noticing the books he asked, "I see you found the library. Preparing for school tomorrow?" Bella looked at John, "Ask John, I was just there to carry the bags." John huffed at Charlie's surprised face, then looked at Bella, "I carried the bags, and don't act so surprised. You both suck". John theatrically threw his hands in the air in frustration and left the room. Bella followed but turned to Charlie and told him that they'd be back before dinner. John had locked the room so Bella knocked to be polite but didn't bother waiting for him to reply. "Jesus Sis, one day you're going to see something and regret just walking in like that." John said, and Bella blanched slightly then retorted, "Very nice John, perhaps you are unfamiliar with how locks work, shall I show you?" John sat down at his desk and pulled out the books and turned on the desk lamp. "You are getting more resilient sis, I'm proud of you." He said with a smirk.

Bella slapped him in the back of his head. He looked up at her in surprise "What was that for?", she just smirked "Now we're even". John rubbed where she hit. It wasn't hard and didn't actually hurt just reflex. "It's a good thing you hit like a girl", he taunted and was rewarded with another one, this time a harder. He sighed and pushed her so she fell back onto the bed. "Sit down, out of reach. Then start to read these…" He threw a few books next to her on shape shifters and werewolves, "…and figure out what needs to be known about them. Bella took one of the books then laughed and asked "No fairies or robots?" She smiled. John chuckled, "If I get a nightmare with one of those we can revisit your suggestions".

He started to look into the ancient Egypt and quickly found the section on the battle. The prince in the nightmare was most likely Ramesses the Great. The event fit fairly well too, only there was no talk of a bodyguard being with him. Only that he was deserted by his troops and survived only with the help from the gods. These descriptions in the books painted him as a great warrior. It didn't quite fit with what John had seen. Another thing that caught his attention was, written a few pages farther into the book. The camp that they almost reached in the nightmare had the Amon division stationed. This fit well with the name the wolf spoke. Supposedly this division could be named after a highly ranked and loyal bodyguard, but it seem odd.

John looked towards Bella, she was still reading. "Did you find anything interesting?" he asked, but Bella just shrugged, "I'm not sure. There are so many different variants, depending on which book I look in. Werewolves generally change during full-moon, whereas shape shifters are often in control of the change. The werewolves are considered to be more animalistic". John considered this then asked, "Would either of them be able to talk?" He remembered the wolf doing so near the end of the nightmare. Bella shrugged "I don't think so. Usually it is just hisses and growls. Maybe it is time you tell me the whole story?"

John started to explain the dream and what information he had come across. Bella was surprised at how much detail was in the dream, usually she just recalled snippets of her dreams at best. "I don't understand. Was this an actual glimpse into the past? Does this mean that you can look into the past as well now?" She was actually a little jealous but did her best to hide it. John didn't pick up on it in any case; he was deep in thought. "I guess we will just have to see if I get another flashback. Preferably one less violent. I don't really think we can do any more right now" John answered. As much as she wanted to explore this further there wasn't really any clear direction to continue working towards, "I guess we will wait and see then". She said leaving the room walking downstairs to start preparing dinner.

Charlie was watching the news in TV in the living room. Apparently there was an increase in people going missing. Charlie looked away from the TV to face Bella, "Hey Bels, did you manage to find what you were looking for in the books?" She nodded, and offered "yeah, it was actually pretty interesting, there was certain similarities between John's dream and what actually happened back then". Charlie nodded, "I guess he has actually learned something in class. Or at least on a subconscious level" he quipped and Bella smiled. "Yeah who would have thought." She then started walking into the kitchen, and told Charlie "I will start to prepare dinner." Charlie got up from the couch, "Ok. Let me know how I can help." Bella picked up some potatoes and other vegetables, "could you start on these?"

Thanks to Ruze a Koure for editorial advises on Chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2

Explicit sexual content in the end of this chapter.

**Chapter two**

John woke up to the horrible noise of his alarm. He looked around the room slightly confused, until he remembered that he moved to Charlie's place with Bella. He groaned and stretched, it was time for school. He considered going back to sleep. The comforting thought of doing so almost won over but Bella chose that moment to knock on the door. "If you are not out of the room in 5 minutes I am bringing a bucket of cold water." She threatened. John sighed and scooted up to a sitting position. He didn't want to test her on that one, this wouldn't be the first time she did it.

Not much had happened since Jacob and Billy visited Saturday. Sunday just flew by reading a bit more in the history books and speaking with Charlie. And the absence of nightmares meant that they couldn't really investigate it much further. He was still not certain what triggered it the first time. It was probably some external influence, as it seemed to stem from his ability. He didn't manage to think of it much further as he could hear what sounded like a bucket being filled with water. "I am up sis. Don't need your help showering!" He yelled to Bella in the toilet across from his bedroom. The water stopped and he could almost sense Bella's smug smile when she yelled back, "Breakfast is ready downstairs." He got out of his bed and started to find his cloth for the day. Jeans, a t-shirt and his good old shirt should suffice.

After getting ready for school John went downstairs and greeted Charlie. Charlie had already dressed in his uniform and was sipping coffee while hearing the news on radio. As John entered the kitchen he grabbed a couple of pancakes and some juice and went to sit with Charlie. "No nightmare today either?" Charlie asked. John shook his head, "Fortunately not. Just the one." Charlie smiled, then looked thoughtful for a moment as he studied the pancakes John had brought, "We need to help Bella around the house." John Groaned and looked between Charlie, the pancakes and the stairwell. As Bella wasn't within earshot he conceded "I know. But I am a terrible cook." Charlie chuckled, "I've heard stories. But I'm not much better off. But help out in whichever way you can and I will do the same." John just nodded and greeted Bella as she came into the dining room, Charlie turned and offered "Hey Bells, thank you for the pancakes." John nodded in agreement but couldn't help but add "They were a little burnt though". It was too late to realize his mistake as Bella just smiled and said "Well then I guess you will be in charge of the pancakes tomorrow." John looked towards Charlie, this was going to cost him. Then back to Bella who stood with arms crossed. There was no way out of this. "Ok, but you have to help me." Bella nodded and a sigh of relieve was heard from Charlie.

Bella and John arrived at school in good time but the parking lots were already filling up. As they entered the school grounds they were approached by another student. He greeted them politely and told them a bit about the school and led them to their first class of the day. Most of the classes they would have together, this first one included. The math teacher greeted them politely and told them to take a seat where they could find one. There was only a few seats available so Bella ended up near the front of the class while John ended up near the back. Several of the students turned to greet them before the teacher call for attention and the class began. After class Bella was approached by a guy who presented himself as Mike. As John approached Mike got slightly flushed but suggested that they could come sit at his table during lunch. John gave Bella a knowing smile which she answered by rolling her eyes. John spoke up, "Sounds good Mike, lead the way."

As they sat down during lunch they met the rest of the group. It was a pretty welcoming group, though the dynamic was a bit of a mess. It seemed that the girl named Jessica was quite taken with Mike, who was either oblivious or not interested in her. Bella interrupted John's thoughts by stealthily poking him in the side and nodding towards the table in the other end of the cafeteria. John waited a short while, then looked over in the general direction. Turning to face Bella he whispered, "I'm guessing that's the Cullens". Bella nodded. He took a chance and glanced over to the group again, though this time Jessica noticed. "That's the Cullens." She started. "They moved here from Alaska a few years ago". As the attention at the twins table was now solidly focused on gossiping about the Cullens she continued. "That's Alice, the dark haired girl. She's with Jasper next to her, they are apparently an item. So is Rosalie, the blonde and Emmett, the big dark haired guy. Last one is the Edward, he is gorgeous." Both John and Mike rolled their eyes and shook their heads. John looked towards the Cullens again. They did seem to isolate themselves at their table, as Esme had mentioned. He glanced towards the table and said to Mike, "The two girls are quite appetizing too, huh?" He could vaguely hear Mike laugh and the girls sigh, but he had completely lost focus on that. He was much more focused on the fact that several of the Cullens turned at that exact moment. They all looked straight at him for the briefest moment, before returning to their own conversations.

After lunch Mike and Jessica was leading the twins to their next class, Biology. Bella and John trailing behind. Bella gave John a schooling stare and rolled her eyes, but he just shrugged and wiggled his eyebrows. Bella gave him an elbow, and left him behind as he rubbed the ribs that took the impact. As he looked up again the Alice and Rosalie was standing in front of him with guarded expressions. Rosalie spoke up, "I'm guessing you're one of the Swan twins my mother was telling us about." John was still reeling from the shock and just nodded. Looking between the two of them he managed, "Sorry. I'm John and you are the Esme adopted children I presume?" Alice nodded and Rosalie answered, "Yes this is Alice and I'm Rosalie." She continued, "Esme talked quite fondly of your meeting Saturday. I trust it she mentioned that we are rather private people?" John considered this then said, "Not exactly. She actually encouraged us to approach you and say hi. But I get the message, Sorry." This seemed to take out some of the fire in Rosalie's eyes and Alice had put a hand on her shoulder. She seemed to be about to say a few more reprimanding words when she was interrupted by a deep booming voice, "I believe you all have classes that are about to start, please head there immediately." All three of them turned to look at Mr. Jackson. The girls smiled at him and nodded "Yes Mr. Jackson, we just wanted to say hi to the new guy". He nodded "And you are encouraged to do so, but please do it outside classes". They nodded and left John behind in yet another predicament. "Well it was nice to meet you Mr. Jackson, I should head to class too". John tried to hurry off but realized he had no idea where the classroom was located. "What room are you looking for Mr. Swan?" John was slightly taken aback and asked before thinking, "Room 14A. You know my name?" The teacher just nodded and indicated that John should follow him. "I do. It is not every day we get twins to the school in the middle of a school year."

As they approached the door John said his thanks and entered the classroom, which had already filled up. Bella was seated with Edward, and seemed to be a bit unconfutable. John didn't pay too much attention though and sat down in the back where Jessica had left a seat open for him. "Where did you go?" She asked as he sat down. "I had to tie my shoelaces and got lost in the hallways." He lied. Jessica nodded and just stated that it was good he made it, while she started paying attention to the teacher. John noticed that Mike was sitting at the table next to him. He wasn't paying attention in class but was looking in Bella and Edward's general direction. John looked over as well. Edward seemed like he was either about to puke or tried to hold his breath. Again John's opened his mouth before his brain caught up. "Either sis just farted or Edward is trying to set some kind of record." He muttered to himself. Jessica of course heard and started to giggle. Unfortunately Edward apparently heard as well, cause if stares could kill John would be a smoking corpse now.

The bell had barely rung before Edward was out of the door. John caught up with Bella. "So how is Edward?" He asked as they walked the hallways. Bella looked at John then shook her head, "He acted really weird. Looked like he was trying to hold his breath." John looked at Bella then smirked, but before he could say anything he got another elbow. "Common Bella, you have to ease up. If social services ever comes to visit us they'd take me into protective custody!" Bella sighed then smiled and shook her head, "How are we related again?" John smiled and gave her a friendly push "By blood I believe." As he said that Edward stormed past them, coming out from the school secretary's door.

As John was driving them home he mentioned the encounter with Alice and Rosalie. Bella laughed "Oh poor thing, Karma's a bitch huh? But you had that one coming." John frowned, "First those two and then Edward. I'm going to end up in the morgue before my time". Bella's mood damped some, "Wait was Edward there too?" John shook his head. "No that was during class. I… mumbled something under my breath and he turned and looked me squarely in the face with murder in his eyes." Bella sighed, "I don't even want to ask. You are lucky that you are driving. I guess I missed a few things…" That got John thinking, "Mr. Jackson actually came to my rescue, when the lionesses were about to pounce again. He seems to have a good handle on them and obviously has their respect."

As they arrived home Charlie greeted them. "How was your first day?" Both Bella and John frowned. Bella started "It was ok. We were welcomed by a nice group of classmates and met the Cullens." Charlie nodded, "That is good to hear. What is with the long faces then?" Bella looked at John who answered, "Well just a lot to take in. The Cullens wasn't quite what I had expected." Charlie frowned when he noticed that John winced as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you get into trouble with them John?" He asked concerned. John was relieved, as this could take the conversation elsewhere. "No that's all her." He said pointing at Bella who rolled her eyes. Charlie relaxed visible but raised an eyebrow at Bella, "You should try being on the receiving end of what leaves John's mouth. He gets off easy." She send John a challenging stare. He picked up a white napkin and waved it back and forth, "I surrender sis. I know when I am beat." Bella's eyes shut daggers. "Crap. I didn't mean it like that. Common Bella." John looked genuine and Bella relented.

Crisis averted Charlie tried to mend it further, by suggesting that he would start cleaning the house. He looked at John expectantly and John caught on. "If you want I can help you with dinner, sis." Bella looked between the two, then nodded, "Let's see what we can make. We can start in an hour or so." Bella headed upstairs to empty her bags and so did John. There was quite a load, as they had receive the books needed for all of their classes. John studied some of the books he had received and picked up the history books. The bigger one was on the World Wars and then there were two smaller ones on Genghis Khan and The Art of War. They were supposed to read the chapter on the last years of the Second World War. Fortunately he had already covered that in Arizona and only skimmed through it.

John walked down the stairs an hour later and met Bella in the kitchen. Bella turned and smiled, "I figured we could make a pizza. Would you start on the dough?" John just scratched his neck and looked helpless. Bella pointed at the bowl and a handwritten note next to it, "I have written it down for you over there." John nodded and started adding the ingredients, "Have you looked at the homework yet?" He asked and looked over. Bella was working on the vegetables, it looked so easy when she did it. It was a shame that she was got so clumsy when she got self-conscious. Bella stopped cutting and nodded, "Yeah, we covered the history assignment back in Arizona." She hesitated a bit then added "Mike told me that our teacher is Mr. Jackson." John froze for a second but continued working on the dough. "Let's see how it goes tomorrow. He didn't seem too threatening earlier today."

As the three of them were eating Bella spoke up, "John actually managed to do a pretty good job in the kitchen. He didn't even burn the sauce." Charlie looked up and smiled, "That's great to hear. Good job both of you the pizza is very good." His smile didn't reach his eyes though, there was something bothering him, "Listen, there has been some gruesome animal attacks a few cities over. Will you please stay in the town until they find these animals?" Both John and Bella looked and Charlie wide eyed. John was shaken and touched his neck before asking, "What kind of animals?" Charlie looked at John, "I'm sorry John. This is really bad timing with your nightmare. They don't know yet, there were no good tracks to go by. The coroner hasn't been able to find out either. There are experts coming in from Seattle, so hopefully we will know soon."

Rosalie was sitting in the Swans backyard. It was dark by the time she got there so she didn't bother hiding. The wind was shifting quite often but she managed to get most of the conversation anyway. She didn't like where things were left today. The incident during lunch was regrettable, and the attempt at damage control double so. She couldn't decide if Esme's warning had been a help or made it worse. The whole group had been a bit anxious showing up at school. But for all her mistakes, Edward still managed to screw up much worse. As they arrived home he told them about biology. Bella had sat down next to him, her scent had completely overwhelmed him. Then John entered as well and he had to cover himself to make it through class. Apparently the Swan scent was too strong. It was awakening some primal need for human blood. He was making a huge scene that John had noticed. A snide remark later from John and Edward had turned ready to go for the kill. Fortunately he managed to reign it in some and made it through the rest of the class.

Rosalie had stopped paying attention when the twins were making dinner. But as Charlie started talking about the animal attacks got interested again. Unfortunately the information was very vague, but it sounded like something they would need to investigate as well. If it was anything supernatural they would need to be ready to defend themselves against it. She sighed, the treaty with the Quileute dogs was frail enough already.

As she heard the twins head to their bedrooms she decided it was time to leave. She glanced up at John's room then over at Bella's, they would need to be very careful around the two of them. She was just about to leave when she heard John groaning in his sleep. Indecision struck her as she didn't really care about his nightmares, but maybe there would be some subconscious thoughts she could use. She snuck up on the first floor then propelled herself to the roof and laid down to better hear.

_"__General Amun, urgent news from your Pharaoh." I turned to look at the messenger. He had kneeled in front of my personal guard, both of whom stood with swords drawn. "What are the news messenger?" I asked impatiently. I put down my cup of wine and stood up, I had just started eating after a long day of training and was in no mood for interruption. The messenger fidgeted with his hands in his bag and produced a scroll. One of my guards took it and brought it to me. I studied the seal, it seemed genuine. I broke the seal and opened the scroll to reveal a call for assistance in defending the Pharaoh against the sea people. I read on and nearly crushed the scroll in my hands when I read the last line, "The scouts has sworn on sightings of great wolf-like beast among the enemy troops." Nearly a century had passed since that night that they attack. Nearly a century I had waited for my revenge. I rolled up the scroll and nodded to the pale messenger, "You may leave."_

_Arriving at the palace I walked through the great halls, with my most trusted officers at my sides. As I approached the doors to the throne-room I was asked to surrender my weapons. I complied and entered the room, leaving my companions behind. As I approached the Pharaoh I bowed my head in his honor and slowly approached. As I was standing in front of him he spoke, "I am glad to see you at my palace Amon, I trust that you have brought your entire division?" I looked up, "I have." Beside him sat his consorts with a high-priestess on either side. Along each side of the room stood guards with noble people watching from behind. I looked back up at the Pharaoh and asked "Are we to discuss strategy, or are you leaving it to your generals?" He considered this then raised his hand and pointed towards the door, "Everyone, leave us." _

_When everyone had left only the generals and the Pharaohs sons were left. "Do we have an estimate of their number?" I asked. General Pentua of the Pharaohs guard answered the question, "Six to eight thousand by sea and another eight to twelve by land." I considered this. It wasn't impossible odds but with our sixteen thousand it would likely be evenly matched with high casualties on both sides. "Where have they last been sighted?" I continued. "They approach from the North along the coast by sea and from northeast outside of our territory. They will be here in a week." Pentua had spread out a map and put down stones to indicate the approximate locations. I looked at the map, they had yet to enter the Nile, which would be a good place to counter-attack them. "I suggest we move our forces to this location, and attack them as they enter the mouth of the Nile. That will give us an advantage as we can attack them from both the sea and land at the same time. We will be able to reduce their numbers significantly before their land armies are informed. That will give us time to prepare against them." Prince Pentawere, one of the Pharaoh's sons spoke up. "We should just wait here and defend the city." Rameses the fourth and the Pharaohs eldest son spoke up, "Because they would be able to attack the city from their ships and cut off our supply lines. Countless civilians would be lost." Pentawere wasn't finished though, "So what? Let them. The palace is safe and we can use the distraction to our advantage!" I looked at him with contempt and disbelief but hid it from showing on my face. I carefully worded my input, "I believe we will suffer heavy casualties in either case Prince Pentawere. While we might save some of our forces, it would take a long time for Cairo to recover." A fire was burning in his eyes but he remained quiet. The Pharaoh made his decision "I believe the best course of action would be to move our forces to attack the enemy at the mouth of the Nile."_

_As I left the Palace I sent my companions to the camp to rest. A residence had be given to me, so I started heading in that direction. As I walked there I felt like there was a shadow tailing me, I was being followed. Whenever I looked back though all I saw was random merchants and noble people milling about. I tried to hone my senses and continued to the residence. I didn't manage to detect anyone, so I just figured it was the dessert sun that had gotten to me. A greeted the servants and guards that stood by the door as I entered the house. I started to draw a bath and laid down in the steaming water and started washing off dirt and grime. As I laid back in the tub I drifted off._

_I woke up with the feeling of a dagger pressed against my throat. "Do you have any idea who I am?" I threatened the unknown assailant. As I said it my thoughts where running through ways to escape or overpower the assassin. I could try to break the back support my pushing back with all my power. That would likely give me enough room to slip the knife out of his hand. Another knife was suddenly at my spine as well, then I heard a voice, 'I wouldn't do that if I was you.' I froze, that wasn't coming from my assailant that was in my head. 'Oh that is one and the same thing dear.' Was the answer, to the question never voiced. "Who sent you?" I asked, trying to get more insight in who had managed to get the drop on me. 'Does it really matter?' the voice asked. I could feel the foreign presence in my mind, and memories of the past rushed through my mind. 'You have walked this earth for quite a few millennia now, I do believe you know what I am at least.' I closed my eyes and thought back. "That's impossible you were extinct 1500 years ago." The assassin drew in close to my ear "Not quite extinct." A female voice came out with a hiss. She bit my earlobe, "So tell me, who am I?" I sighed and relaxed a little, "You are Amaunet, Queen of the fey." With a slight twist of her hand she drew a small cut in my throat and liked the cut. She smiled against my throat and answered "I am indeed." Then frowned, "Though I am not queen of anything anymore." I tested my luck and turned my head, she didn't resist but the knives remained in place, "So have you come to kill me? You don't need your knives to do that." She looked at me with her deep green eyes. She was beautiful, dressed in a deep green linen robe with her long red hair and the perfect porcelain skin. Skin which would be impossible for the region we lived in. A bit of red colored her cheeks as I took her in. "You are correct…" She stated and put both knives against my throat with the point of the knives digging in slightly. She licked the trail of blood from the new wounds, which had already healed up by now. "…I don't need the knives." She continued with a smirk, "But your blood is so delicious." I grabbed under both her arms and pulled her in so our faces were inches apart, "How is the temperature?" I asked shielding my thoughts, which threw her for a second. I used that advantage to pull her entire body into the tub, clothing and everything. She screamed in surprise, which alerted the guards who came running to the locked door and knocked, "Are you alright general?" I looked up at Amaunet, who had manage to reemerge from the water. She straddled me and was now looking down at me expectantly. "I think I can handle it." I said in dismissal to the guard. _

_When we could no longer hear the guard's footstep outside Amaunet looked down in contemplation. "You are not a very bright for a man pushing three thousand years." She said. "You know the reputation of the fey." I grabbed her thigh and squeezed. "I do, black widows, right? Lost a few good men to you back then." She just smiled in fond memory. "So what do you want?" I asked. She looked down on me with hungry eyes, then started to move her pelvis grinding against my manhood. "You know what I want. It's been a very long time since I've had a true shape shifter." I contemplated this. It was true, there was only a handful of us left. Now only the werewolves and the wolf-shifters were left along with the leeches. She stopped instantly he ministrations, 'What has happened to the rest of you?' I sighed, "Same thing as what happened to you. The werewolves." she looked me deep in the eyes, 'Those lycans needs to be dealt with.' The voice in my head was so raw and filled with conviction. I smiled at her with a sad smile, "That was why I came here to Cairo." Again those piercing green eyes look at me, while a flashback of today's meeting was playing through my mind. 'Such a shame I should cross your path then.' She said as she started to grind against me again. She slowly lowered her body against mine, scraping my neck with her fangs. As she reach my shoulder her fangs pierced the skin and her venom slowly sept into my veins. All my senses sharpened and my heart was raising with adrenalin. She slowly kissed and sucked blood from the wound until it healed. Then she slowly licked and kissed in a trail up my neck to my earlobe. In my mind I could feel her expanding while she whispered "Your mine..." I could feel her presence slowly spreading throughout my body and slowly grasping my member without any physical contact. At the same time she removed her dress and slowly started grinding against me again. Before I blacked out one last thought entered my mind 'I will avenge us.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

Bella woke by John screaming. She turned to check the clock, it was just past four. As she opened John's door he was struggling to breathe clutching his heart. "John. John!" she rushed over and got him to sit up. "Are you ok?" John took some time to collect himself then nodded. "Yeah I'm all right." He rubbed his eyes. It was still dark in the room, so he flipped on the light at the nightstand. Bella sat down on the bed with concerned eyes at him, "Do you want to talk about it?" John considered it. "Well it was similar to the last time. This time I could feel the life draining out of me and my heart stop." Bella paled, "I'm sorry to hear it." John smiled at Bella, "Thanks, but I am ok now. Let's talk about it tomorrow." Bella got up and went for the door, "See you tomorrow."

Outside Rosalie sat up, 'Guess that's my queue as well' she thought and jumped back down into the garden and hurried home. As she arrived at the front door it was opened. Emmett was standing on the other side letting her in. As she got into the living room Carlisle, Esme and Alice was already there. They all looked up expectantly at her. Rosalie sat down in the couch followed by Emmett and Jasper. Rosalie decided to start with the most important, "This Charlie human mentioned what he termed an _animal_ attack in a nearby town. He didn't go into much detail, but they couldn't determine what animal had attacked. I think we need to be on our guard and check it out, it doesn't sound right." Carlisle looked at her concerned, "It does sound worrying. You didn't get any more information than that?" Rosalie shook her head. "I will go survey the nearby towns and see if I can come up with something. Jasper and Emmett will you help me with the search?" As both of them nodded Carlisle continued, "We need to stay together in groups of two or more whenever we can. At least until we have figured out if there is any threat."

Rosalie spoke up again, "It is too early to tell, but I think John might have some kind of ability. As much as I dread the thought, we need to keep a close eye on those two…" Edwards face lit up making Rosalie add "And you are hardly the best candidate Edward." Edward scowled and was about to say something. But before he could speak Carlisle looked sternly at Rosalie and interjected "Please don't antagonize Edward, Rose." Edward glared at Rosalie but didn't say anything after that. "Perhaps it would be a good idea that you and Alice make amends with the twins." Carlisle continued. Edward's head almost snapped as he turned to Carlisle, "Please, I can do this!" he said. Esme sat down next to Edward and put a hand on his shoulder. Then she said softly "You know that won't work when you are so strongly influenced by their blood." Carlisle continued, "We need to help you deal with that before we can risk having you near them again." Rosalie looked at the exchange then towards Alice who had kept quiet, "I don't think I should be involved, can't Alice just befriend them herself?" Carlisle shook his head, "It will be good for you and you need to repair the damage you did. With this unknown threat Alice can't do it on her own." While Rosalie would rather just keep her distance, she couldn't help but be a bit curious about these twins. Before she could say anything Alice spoke up, "We can do this Rose. I don't think John is as bad as he came off in school. He seemed genuinely sorry in the hallway." Rosalie finally conceded, "Ok fine, we will take care of it."

As Rosalie went to her room Alice followed. Alice sat down on her bed while Rose went to check which notes she would need for the day. She pulled out a few binders and compared the notes to the material they were asked to read. It didn't differ from last time she had taken the classes so she put the books in her bag. She glanced over at Alice who was patiently waiting on her, "What do you want?" Rosalie finally asked. Alice gave her a winning smile and said, "You have to tell me what made you decide to stay over there most of the night!" Rosalie sighed, "I already told you, it was because of this unknown threat." Alice mouth slowly turned into a smirk, "You didn't come back until well past four this morning. Did they stay up late or did you go skinny dipping on your way home?" Rose frowned, "Neither." Alice sat up on her knees in the bed, "You're stalling. Just tell me already." Alice was literally bouncing on the bed now. Rosalie groaned and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, "Fine, I might as well tell you before your crazy little mind gets any deeper into the gutter. The kid…", "John." Alice interjected, "I know his name, stop interrupting. He had a nightmare of sorts. He mumbled in his sleep, unfortunately it was hard for me to pick up. It was like he was speaking with someone, they spoke about a palace being attacked. The bits and pieces I did catch wasn't all that interesting though. Not until much later when he spoke again. I caught one word: _fey._"

As the group was about to leave for school Carlisle caught Rosalie by the elbow and dragged her to the side. "Next time please tell us everything in person during the meeting. Not just through idle conversation with Alice." Rosalie bit her lower lip to prevent herself from saying anything and just nodded. Carlisle continued, "It's not the first time you have done this. It might be an easy way to avoid questions, but next time I will come to your room if necessary." Rosalie looked into Carlisle's eyes and apologized, "I will try to bring it up during our meetings." With that Carlisle released Rosalie's arm and put a comforting hand on her shoulder before letting her leave, "Thank you Rose."

As Rosalie sat down in the passenger seat Alice beamed at her, "So how are we going to approach the twins this time, the Good Cop/Bad Cop routine? And can I be the bad cop this time?" Rosalie groaned, "No we are not. You are a horrible bad cop. I think we need to treat carefully this time." Alice pretend pouted, "Well you are no good cop either." Rosalie glared at Alice, but she just smirked back, "See?" Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Just watch the road, smart ass."

As they approached the school they noticed Bella and John talking with Jessica, Mike and some of the other kids. Mike asked if they wanted to go to La Push but John shook his head, "No we can't, there has been an incident with some wild animals. We promised to stay in the city." Mike looked towards Bella, but she shook her head and looked away. Jessica more stated than asked, "I haven't heard anything, are you sure?" John shrugged, "Pretty sure, our dad told us. He is with the local police." Jessica perked up, "Oh yeah, there was a rumor your dad is the sheriff." Both Bella and John sighed lightly. John turned to Bella and whispered, "Rumors travel fast in this town." Alice wanted to stay and listen in on the conversation but Rosalie dragged her along. "We don't want to be caught like this. Let's get to class, it is almost time for history."

The twins entered the room not long after Rosalie and Alice. Bella looked around the room and met the vampire's eyes. She quickly nodded then averted her eyes. As she sat down next to John she whispered, "Aren't Edward and the other boys also supposed to be here?" John looked back towards Alice and Rosalie as well. Alice gave him a small smile while Rosalie just looked down into her notes. "I'm not sure, you could try asking them after class." Mr. Jackson entered at that moment. "Please find your books and get ready for class."

As the class ended John whispered to Bella, "I want to speak with Mr. Jackson about the dreams, I will catch up to you guys." Bella just nodded and got up to leave. Mike came up to her and they walked out together. Rosalie and Alice followed them down the hallways. Alice spoke up, "Hey Bella wait up!" She practically skipped up to Bella, then looked at Mike, "Hey you don't mind if we borrow Bella for just a few minutes do you?" Mike became flushed red and only barely managed to say that it was fine. Alice gave him a winning smile and said thanks as she put her arm under Bella's, "I hope you don't mind Bella, we just wanted to talk a little." Bella had managed to become a little flushed as well. But she managed to shake her head and answered, "No, no, it is fine. We need to be back for the next class though." Rosalie chimed in as she walked up next to Alice, "We can manage that."

As they walked the hallways Alice started, "I am sorry. We got off to a rough start. As you know I'm Alice and this is Rose." Bella nodded, "Esme mentioned that. It is nice to meet you both." Bella couldn't help her curiosity, "So where is the rest of your family?" Alice started, "Well Esme is at home. Carlisle is…" Bella smiled and gave her a slight push. To Bella's surprise Alice didn't budge the slightest. She cut in anyway "You know I meant your brothers." Without Bella noticing both Rosalie and Alice winced. Rosalie answered "We'll our half-brothers have the day off. Carlisle have made an arrangement with the school. He is allowed to pull us out of school for short durations, as long as we keep up with our school work too." Bella wasn't satisfied, "Why did he pull them out today then?" Rosalie considered this, then took the chance, "He was called away on an assignment out of town. An animal attack of sorts was reported. He needed their help." Bella looked at her in surprise, "I heard about that. Do you know what happened? And why would he bring your half-brothers for that?" Rosalie inwardly sighed. Fortunately Alice was quick to answer, "It is good experience to have as they plan on studying medical professions in college." Before Bella could ask any more questions Alice gave her a bright smile and asked, "So how do you find the school so far? Did you find any cute boys yet?" Bella blanched and Rosalie just enjoyed not being that target of Alice insufferable teasing for once.

As the trio approached Biology Alice spoke up again, "Ok here's your Bio-class. If you have time at lunch we would like to speak with both you and John." Bella nodded and entered the room. As Alice and Rosalie left Rosalie looked angrily at Alice, "Why would you do that? We can't possibly keep our cover if we don't eat during lunch." Alice looked apologetically back at Rosalie, "You sacrifice a little to keep your cover, right?" Rosalie groaned, "If this ends up being a repeating event you will owe me big time." A smile started to form on Alice's mouth, "You could stand to lose a *mrmph*" Rose had her mouth over Alice's mouth and her pinned against the wall, "You don't finish that sentence." She growled.

The two vampires entered the classroom and sat in their usual spots in the back. Alice continued the conversation on a sub-human level, albeit on a safer topic, "We need to come up with a way to ask him about his dreams." Rose gave a slight nod. Alice started to brainstorm, "We could tell him he looks tired…" Rosalie shook her head, "Then we could ask him why he stayed behind in history class today…" Rosalie considered this then spoke up, "That could work, but we will need to be very careful." Rosalie looked at Alice, "How long does it usually take before you can start to see another person's future? It could be nice to run through a few scenarios before we actually talk to him." Alice thought back, "It's hard to say, but it will take a while. I think it depends on how close we are. It took several months with Jasper and longer with Emmett." Rosalie continued, "I guess that option is out then. And Edward's power will only help us read what is currently on his mind." Alice chuckled, "I don't think Edward can get into physical contact long enough to read John anyway without arousing suspicion." Rosalie groaned but turned her attention back to class.

As John and Bella left class they were approached by the Cullen duo. Alice gave them a big friendly smile. "Common let's go eat, I'm starving!" John looked to Bella whom gave him an apologetic look. John looked from Alice to Rosalie and then back before nodding, "Ok lead the way." Alice smile broadened and she nearly skipped over and put her arm under Bella's, "Let's go." Bella felt self-conscious and fidget with her hands, she didn't quite know what to do with them. Alice just smiled at her, "Relax" she mouthed, and Bella nodded, blushing slightly. As they made it to the cafeteria Mike and Jessica looked over perplexed, but they didn't approach them. The four of them went to get their lunch then sat down at a table. John looked around the table then down at his lunch and mumbled, "How did you hear me yesterday?" Alice smiled at him, "You didn't speak quite as low as you thought you were." She padded his arm that was resting on the table, "Don't worry about it though, we're used to it. It's just… It would be nice if we could see eye to eye." John looked down and poked at his food, and Bella offered, "John sometimes speaks before he thinks. Hopefully he will learned from this." John just nodded. Rosalie looked between the twins then asked them, "Did you enjoy the history class?" Bella smiled at that, "He is very engaged in the stories, and knows so much about the history." John added, "You feel like you are there when he talks." Alice nodded enthusiastically, "We are all very fond of his classes. We sometimes challenged him on trivia that we look up, but he always get it right." John noticed that both of the Cullen's were just poking at their food. "I guess you weren't that hungry after all?" Both Alice and Rosalie grimaced briefly, but then Alice slowly brought the food to her mouth, "I guess we got distracted." Rosalie still hadn't touched her food, "Did you have trouble with the material today, John? I noticed you went to talk with Mr. Jackson." John perked up but shook his head, "No, it was something else." Alice looked up from her food, giving the conversation her attention. Rosalie pushed a bit, looking from Bella to John "If you have any questions you are more than welcome to come ask. Both Alice and I had to repeat this year, so between the two of us I'm sure we can help you out if you have any questions." Bella turned to John as well. John considered it for a moment then shrugged, "I was just interested in knowing about ancient Egypt." While Alice excused herself to go to the restroom Rosalie urged him on, "So what did you ask our history teacher about?" John continued, "It was mostly about Rameses the great and the stories surrounding that time. I wanted to know of Rameses himself and the generals of his army." John hesitated, "He was surprised by my interest, and told me his take on that part of history. What he told me was much closer to what I had dreamt than what was written in the history books." Bella cringed and Rosalie raised an eyebrow, "What you had dreamt?" Bella tried to cover for John, who was still reeling from his blunder, "John had it as an assignment back in Arizona. He read so much about the topic that he started having dreams of it too." Rosalie apparently bought it, "Maybe you have managed to draw some subconscious conclusions that turned out to be true." Alice returned and sat down, then Rosalie asked again, "So how was your dream different from the history books?"

As the bell rung out from the last lecture of the day Bella and John was much more at ease with Alice and Rosalie. They were all walking towards the twin's car in the parking lot. Bella stepped on ice and almost fell, but Alice caught her, "Are you ok, Bella?" Alice asked. John turned towards his sister while Rosalie's attention was at the rapidly approaching car, which had lost traction on the ice and was heading straight for Alice and Bella.

As Alice was trying to stabilize Bella on the slippery asphalt she heard Rosalie yell in warning. She turned to see the rapidly approaching car and bent down in front of Bella to shield her with her own body. She tensed in her body anticipating the impact. But she was caught completely off guard by a strong hand grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the path of the oncoming car. She looked back in horror to where Bella had fallen and yelled for her. But she too had been brought out of harm's way. The car came crashing into parked cars nearby, no one seemed to have been hit by it. She turned around, "Thanks Rose." But it wasn't Rosalie, instead Mr. Jackson was standing with an angry look on his face. "It is time to move." He uttered and led them to Rosalie and John, "We need to talk." He stated looking at all four of them sternly, "Drive to your cabin and bring John and Bella. I'll be there as soon as I can." He said to Rosalie, who merely nodded. Alice looked after Mr. Jackson as he went towards the accident. Outside of the twins hearing she asked Rosalie, "What happened?" Rosalie shook her head, "I'm not sure, he came bolting at you just in time to get you out of harm's way." Alice looked towards the twins. John was checking up on Bella. Rosalie looked over too, "I think we all need to get out of here." Bella nodded, then looked up at John, "I'm ok." Alice ran over to get her car and came back and Rosalie got in the car, "Just follow us." Rosalie said as they drove off.

Alice drove slowly enough to ensure that John could keep up. "This doesn't make any sense. How could he reach us in time? And how could he throw me like that?" Rosalie looked over, "Somehow he isn't human. But I don't understand how he has managed to walk among us without us noticing anything." Alice nodded and grabbed the wheel tighter, "He even smells human." Rosalie caught her phone and started calling a number, "Mr. Jackson is not who he claims to be. How soon can you be home with Jasper and Emmett?" Carlisle's voice was hear over the phone, "It's going to take us 30 minutes. Is he a threat?" Rose and Alice exchange a glance, then Rosalie replied, "Not so far. He actually helped us out of a situation earlier. But I don't like that we have no idea who or what he is." The line went quite for a while then Carlisle spoke up again, "Any super-human creation able to hide that way should be extinct a long time ago. But you are four vampires in the house you should be able to overpower him if necessary. Just be careful. We will be back as soon as we can." Rosalie hung up and dialed Esme and explained the situation.

Bella look at John as he was driving, "Did you see what happened?" John shook his head. "What have we gotten ourselves mixed up in John?" John looked over briefly, "I don't know." As they drove through the woods John started to tense up. "I don't like this. Why do they live so secluded?" Bella put a hand on John's shoulder, she had managed to reign in her nerves some. "We will manage John." As she said it they took a turn and headed up a driveway to an impressive, modern looking house. Outside of it Esme was waiting for them with a welcoming smile. John parked the car and they approached the house by foot. Esme greeted them "Welcome John and Bella. I am sorry we meet again under these circumstances. But rest assured that you are perfectly safe here. Please come inside while we wait on our other guest."

The house was exquisitely decorated and Bella would have loved to look around under normal circumstances. But this would have to wait, they were lead to the living room where Edward was waiting in the corner. As they approached he moved towards the stairway, "Nice to see you both." Was all he said, before he faced Esme. With a slight nod she turned towards Bella and John as Edward walked upstairs. Bella and John sat down in a sofa near the door and Esme brought glasses and a bottle of water.

They didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes later they could hear a car approaching. Soon after the doors to the living room opened and Alice and Rosalie stepped in with Mr. Jackson following. Esme opened up first, "Welcome to the home of the Cullen. Please make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink?" The teacher looked at Emse, and bowed his head before he answered, "Thank you Esme. I appreciate the hospitality." He sat down everybody started to relax a little. Only Bella was still guarded. "I can assure you I mean you no harm." He said while looking from person to person ending with Bella. Then he looked to Esme, "I am sorry that we meet in this way. Ideally I would have preferred not to interfere at all. But the incident today left me little choice." He looked towards the twins, "There will be a great deal of surprises today. But telling you that vampires, shape shifters and werewolves exists will not be one of them. Am I correct?" The vampires started to get anxious at the casual reveal of their secret. Bella and John shook their heads. With that he turned to Esme and continued, "As I have revealed this secret, you should be safe from Aro and the Volturi." Esme relaxed a bit and nodded, "We are a vampire coven." Alice glared at Esme, then turned and looked at Mr. Jackson in confusion, "Why would you risk the wrath of the Volturi by exposing us to Bella and John?" He turned to Alice, "It will make sense to you soon. And better in a controlled environment than in the school." He took a quick look around again ending his gaze at John, "Let me first introduce myself. I am Amaunet." John looked alarmed at that and asked, "You're Amaunet? As in the Queen of the Fey?" That caught Amaunet of guard, "How do you know that?" The tension rose a bit but Bella was clearly taking this information the hardest. Amaunet turned towards her, "Please try to relax. Your shield prevents me from soothing you nerves." Everyone was looking at the two in surprise and slight alarm. Amaunet repeated, "I mean you no harm. Try lowering your shields a little bit. Think of it as a virtual wall and allow for a small opening." Bella seemed to struggle with indecision for a few moments before she visibly started to relax. Amaunet smiled, "Great job Bella." She then turned to the others, "I have no control over you, if that is what you are wondering. I merely try to keep this reasonably comfortable." She then turned to John, "You are right, I am, or was, the Queen of the fey people. Unfortunately I have long been the only living Fey." She then turned back to Esme, "Do you know the story of the fey people?" Esme shook her head, but a door opened upstairs, "I do." Edward said as he slowly walked down the stairs. He continued, "But from what I was told it was just a story." He paused then added, "If the stories are true then most of us here are descendants of your people. Abilities are inherited through fey blood." Amaunet nodded, "You are. This is also why there is no significant risk in telling John and Bella about us." Rosalie looked Amaunet up and down, "If you are a Queen, why do you appear male?" Amaunet smiled and was about to answer when John beat her to it, "Because she took over Amun Ra's body." Again Amaunet was caught off guard, "How do you know these things?" John shrugged, "Through my dreams." That caught Rosalie and Alice's interest but they stayed quiet. Amaunet thought for a while looking between the twins. Finally she stated, "That is not possible for you to do. Not alone anyway." She looked at Bella, "You must be the catalyst. Projecting and amplifying John's ability." Bella was still trying to wrap her mind around her newfound abilities, so John decided to ask Amaunet, "What happened to Amun Ra?" Amaunet smiled, "He is still in here." She poked her head with a finger, "After I took control of his body I had expected him to let go. But he kept struggling and after a few months he managed to take control for a while. But all that is ancient history. Suffice it to say that he is resting in the daytime and active during the night." This time Rosalie asked, "So what is Amun Ra? And how do you hide so well from us? You have a completely human scent." Amaunet looked at Rosalie, "Well the first question is easy. Amun Ra is an original shape shifter. Before the lycans started to corrupt that bloodline. The second is partly thanks to his abilities and partly mine." This time Edward asked, "How long have you lived?" Amaunet smiled teasingly, "You don't ask a woman her age." With that she got up, "I need to go now, but be careful. Don't expose yourself to humans and stay on guard." She looked at the vampires, then at the twins, "I hate to be cliché, but I fear trouble is coming here soon. Try to keep your heads down and alert us if you see anything suspicious." Bella got up, "Can't you help us fight for ourselves? And explore our abilities?" Amaunet looked at Bella, "I'm afraid you will need to rely on us defending you for now. I can help teaching all of you about your abilities, and how to develop them. But it will take time." As she had said that she left the house.

Bella and John were both trying to sort through the days events as they drove home. They had to leave soon after as well to not worry Charlie. For all the worries Bella still smiled, "I have abilities too. Plural." John's worries faded a bit, he smirked "Try to only use them for good." She rolled her eyes. Bella recalled Amaunet's final warning, "I don't like the sound of that last warning. I really just feel like a sheep among wolves." "Wolves, shape shifters and vampires" John added unhelpfully. Bella groaned, "If vampires and werewolves are real, do you think they are like in the stories?" John shrugged, "They have been in my dreams so far. But putting the fey into the mix... I don't know." Bella thought back to their previous encounters with the vampires, "They are walking around during daytime. They do seem to eat food... Oh no, Alice went straight for the toilet after. Do you think she got sick?" John considered it and frowned, "I think there's a good chance, yes."

They got out as they arrived at Charlie's house. Keeping her voice low she asked, "do you think they drink human blood?" John shrugged, from being them another voice answered, "We drink animal blood." Both twins jumped at the unexpected voice, heart racing and adrenaline pumping they turned. Rosalie had followed them and stood right behind them smirking. Both twins glared at her. Bella was the first one able to form a sentence, "Why would you do that?" She asked angrily, though still keeping her voice down. Rosalie just smirked as she looked over her shoulder as Alice approached, "Alice and I got guard duty. I figured I should at least get something out of it." She smiled at them, "Looking at the bright side, things has gotten a lot more interesting around here since you two arrived." Alice looked apologetic, "After you left we agreed that your safety is paramount. The abilities you both have can be a great asset to us all. But influenced by the wrong people it could also be a great threat." John looked at them teasingly, "So sleepover?" Alice and Bella signed, Rosalie extended her fangs and looked at John's neck, "Sounds good, I could always use a good midnight snack." John shuddered and rubbed his neck, "Bella's room is bigger" he gulped. Bella just rolled her eyes, and muttered "Chivalry is long dead with you John." Alice decided to answer the actual question, "We'd like to come in and say hi, but we can protect you just fine from outside." She looked at John, "So no sleepover."

As they walked up to the house John looked at the vampires, "Do we need to invite you in?" Rosalie smirked, Alice raised an eyebrow, "You do know Rosalie was joking right? Humans are not on our menu." John looked a bit confused, then Bella clarified, "In some vampire legends vampires can't enter your home without permission." Rosalie just shrugged, "I doubt this flimsy wooden frame will keep us out." Alice looked at Rosalie, "What's gotten into you, you're usually not the one to joke around. Regardless; we should have a talk about the truths and misconceptions of vampires. But let us do that later, Charlie is coming within earshot." With that a door was heard opening inside the house and light came on in the living room."

After a short introduction all five of them sat down around the table in the living room. Charlie looked at the visitors, "If I remember correctly you moved here about a year ago. Is that correct." They both nodded politely, "Yes sir." Alice answered with a smile. Charlie frowned, "Please call me Charlie. Did you miss your old friends moving here?" Alice looked at Rosalie who just shrugged, "Not really. We have been moving regularly through the years." Charlie frowned a bit but nodded. Bells and John gave the vampires a knowing look, but kept quiet. Charlie continued not noticing the exchange, "I'm sorry to hear that but you seem to cope well." Rosalie answered, "We have each other that helps." Charlie noded and looked to Bella and John, then said "I remember Esme mentioned that you live in the woods. Is that correct?" Rosalie confirmed it, "Yes a small cottage a few miles out." Before anyone could interrupt John blurted, "That's more of a mansion." That got him one curious glace and three glares. "You have been there?" Charlie asked. John realising his mistake simply nodded. Bella was quickest with an explanation, "We have gotten an history assignment at school that the four of us are working together on. Esme has studied history back in college, so we went to talk with her." Charlie nodded, he looked towards the guests, "There has been some animal attacks lately a few towns over so be careful when you are outside." Both of them feigned surprise and nodded, "We will, thank you."

As the four of them went to Bella's room the other three looked at him expectantly, "What? You do have a nice place." Bella looked to Rosalie, "So what now?"


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay. I am trying to find time to write, but it has been difficult. That said I will try to have the next chapter ready in a month (mid-April).

I hope to get more feedback. With this fourth chapter I will try to leave some control of the story progression up to you. See the end of this chapter for details when you are done reading.

**Chapter four**

As Carlisle and the boys came home he was greeted by Esme and Edward by the door. Edward stated, "They left a while ago. Including the fey." Carlisle listened and looked around, Esme answered the unasked question, "Rose and Alice has gone with Bella and John to protect them for now." Carlisle merely nodded and walk into the house and into the living room, followed by the others. He didn't like the way things had turned out. They moved here to find a safe and quiet place, where they would be left alone. Now they found out a potential threat had managed to stay under the radar of the entire family. And with these unknown attacks nearby it seemed like it would soon be anything but safe. As everyone was sitting down for their meeting, Esme and Edward brought the others up to speed on the meeting with Amaunet. Carlisle relaxed a little, though his knowledge on the fey kept him on edge. They were notoriously reclusive, manipulative and highly dangerous. "We needed to figure out her motivation for being in Forks, her interest in the twins and if she is staying." He finally stated. Edward nodded, then asked, "Did you find out what happened to the human victims?" Carlisle nodded, "It was a disturbing sight. Whoever did this tried to cover their tracks. But one of the victims still had marks in the neck that is most likely from a vampire." Edward looked meaningfully at Carlisle, "We could just leave and avoid all of this." Jasper nodded in agreement but both Emmett and Esme shook their heads, Esme voiced her concern "We can't leave the twins alone with all of this falling down around them." Emmett added, "And we can't just leave every time there is a threat." Edward stayed adamant though, "We risk exposing ourselves. While I don't think Amaunet intend on hurting any of us, she might bring unwanted attention to us." Jasper nodded, "Neither Edward nor I can be around the twins due to their blood and smell. If they are around in battle we might give in to our nature." Esme looked between the two, "We can help you get accustomed to their smell. You need to train your control around humans in any case." Carlisle finally said "There is a security issue we need to consider. Leaving two so gifted humans behind can be dangerous. We can't decide on anything until Alice and Rose is back though."

As Bella and John arrived at school they were approached by Mike and Jessica. Jessica started gossiping as soon as they were within hearing range, "Did you hear that there was an accident in the parking lot yesterday? No one was hurt, but a few cars was banged up pretty badly. Thankfully Mr. Jackson was there to sort it all out." Bella and John tried to show interest as Jessica continued her monologue, while they were walking through the school grounds. In her mind Bella was still trying to sort out all that had happened the day before. She felt like a pawn in a game of chess. Both she and John had potential for something great, yet they were incredibly vulnerable. While she appreciated the protection the Cullen's provided, it also made her constantly worried. John noticed his twin's frown and tense look, and put a hand on her shoulder for support. She paid little attention to John explaining to the other two why she was in such a somber mood as she noticed Amaunet looking directly at her. Amaunet discretely tabbed her index finger to the side of her head, indicating for Bella to lower her shield. Reluctantly Bella did so and was instantly relieved of her anxiety. With that Amaunet was gone again and Bella turned back to the conversation.

At lunchtime Bella and John sat down with Mike and the other students of their class. After a while of idle conversation Mike mentioned, "We went to the beach yesterday. We met this guy named Jacob who told us you are old friends, is that true?" John snickered in recollection and was rewarded an elbow from Bella before she confirmed, "Yeah, Jacob and his father are visited us often when we grew up." The conversation turned towards the beach again and the twins finally agreed to join them at the beach if they could bring the Cullens. Bella noticed the strange looks she got from the Cullens table but figured they should at least get the offer.

As the twins left after the afternoon classes they were approached by the five Cullens, with Alice, Rosalie and Emmett taking the lead and Jasper and Edward keeping some distance. Rosalie kept it brief, "If you don't mind driving with us, Alice and I will take you to our house. Emmett has promised to take your car." Not thinking much of it the twins just nodded and got into the back of the red sports car. John couldn't help but ask, "Do you think I could try to drive it at some point? I promise I won't drive too fast." Alice sat down in the driver's seat and smiled at him in the rearview mirror, "What fun is it if you don't drive fast?" With that said she drove out of the parking lot and accelerated down the streets. John and Bella tried to get comfortable in the back just as they left town behind, at which point Alice increased the velocity much further. Bella couldn't help but mention, "You know our dad is the sheriff right?" Alice didn't slow down but looked into the rearview mirror towards Bella, "Do you want me to slow down?" She asked with a sweet smile. Bella could see the challenge in the eyes and shook her head, "Just keep your eyes on the road." Alice gave her a short nod and returned her attention to the road. Next Rosalie spoke up, "We are going to start training your abilities from today, and practice some self-defense. Amaunet will join us today and again this weekend and train us all." John looked at her confused, "When did you speak with her? And why is she going to train you as well?" Alice looked at Rosalie who just shrugged back and answered, "We can speak to each other in a sub-human level, Amaunet included. So it is quite easy to keep a conversation without actually sitting together. We talked during lunch." The second part didn't seem to sit well with neither of the vampires, "Apparently we are out of shape, so she offered to train us. At least Emmett is ecstatic." She said with some indignation. Alice picked up the conversation, "Both she and Amun has lots of combat experience, as you probably know from the dream. To the fey magic is as natural as breathing, so she can definitely help us understand and control our abilities better."

As they arrived at the house Alice helped Bella out of the two door car, while John walked out the other side behind Rosalie. Amaunet had already arrived and was apparently arguing with Carlisle. They stopped talking as the four of them approached. Amaunet turned her attention to the twins, "We are going to start you out with some basic agility training and light weaponry. If the four of you will follow me, I will get you started." Bella lifted her hands to slow her down, "Whoa, wait. I want to know who is after us first." Amaunet looked a little impatient, but offered, "I don't think anyone is after you specifically. At least not right now. That being said, there are apparently rogue vampires nearby. If they find out they might attack you, or worse yet, they might tell someone else about you." John clued in he asked, "The animal attacks?" Carlisle answered, "It was vampires that did it." John got apprehensive and asked, "What about you? Are you killing humans as well?" All of the vampires shook their heads. Carlisle explained, "We are animal drinkers." Alice chimed in, "Sort of vegetarians." John and Bella grimaced, John muttered, "There must be a different dictionary for vampires." Alice just gave him a smile and a shrug. Bella looked towards Amaunet, "What about you… and Amun?" Amaunet shrugged, "A tender steak and a glass of wine." Before John could ask she added, "Oh for the love of… from a cow and grapes. Now let's get going."

John was sparring with Alice while Bella faced Rosalie upon request of Amaunet. Both vampires were defending while John and Bella tried to attack as directed using wooden knives. While Bella knew she couldn't actually hurt Rosalie she had never really fought and it apparently showed, because Amaunet sighed and came over, "Take this serious Bella. In a real fight you will only have one chance at best. Strike her at the neck or leg. You need to incapacitate her so try to strike through her." John stopped his attacks and asked, "Wouldn't it work better to try and aim for the heart?" Alice shook her head, "Blood isn't pumping in our veins anymore. Our hearts only hold sentimental value." John looked up in the sky, "And I guess the sun won't affect you either?" This time Rosalie answered, "It drains our energy, we are weakened and will need to feed more often if we stay out during the day." Amaunet frowned, "Let's get back to the training." Bella grabbed her knife a little tighter and started swinging with more purpose, but every time she got near Rosalie's neck, she moved effortlessly and easily avoid the hit. After a few more swings Bella was getting tired. She looked over at Alice and John. John didn't do any better and he was also starting to show signs of fatigue. She looked to Amaunet for guidance, who pointed the pulse point of her own neck. Bella nodded, though she wasn't quite comfortable with it she figured it would create the distraction needed. She slowly moved towards Alice, who started to look between the two twins approaching. John halted letting Bella get all the way over to Alice, who was looking curiously at Bella. Bella moved her hair away from her pulse point in her neck and turned to expose it to the vampire as she was right next to her. Alice's eyes started to go darker as she took in the bared neck, she froze in place trying desperately to regain her composure. At the same moment John tagged Alice with the knife, though he quickly moved back as he saw the intensity in Alice's eyes. Bella slowly retreated as well, covering her neck again and Alice started to return from her frozen haze. Bella was shocked by how strongly she had affected Alice. Rosalie was walking up to her sister slowly and looked her in her eyes putting a hand on her shoulder, then she looked back at Bella, "That was incredibly dangerous." After that the two vampires disappeared into the forest. Amaunet and John came over to Bella, who was feeling really bad for what she had put Alice through. Amaunet was the first one to speak, "Don't blame yourself Bella, I was curious and shouldn't have encourage you the way I did. I could have stopped you but I wanted to see how strong Alice is. She has an incredibly strong willpower." Looking at the fey John could see she wasn't the only one second guessing her decision, he still wanted to make sure "You put Bella into danger, just to see how far you could push Alice? What if she had attacked Bella? Please don't do that again." Amaunet gave a brief nod.

After regaining her composure, Bella figure that it was about time she asked the questions that needed answering, "Why would you think someone will want to hurt me and John? And what about these unknown vampires – are they the same threat you were talking about yesterday?" Amaunet looked out into the forest, "No. The vampires are a significant threat, but they are young. They didn't do well in hiding their victims, and they have made grave mistakes when they didn't manage to cover the bite marks." Amaunet tensed up as she continued, "The real threat is much older. It is an old nemesis of ours called Alexander. He has killed many of our friends through the years and has tried influencing the course of history relentlessly throughout his life. If he comes across you two he might try to use you for his gain." John started to clue in, "Is he by any chance the werewolf that attacked Amun at the Battle of Kedash?" Amaunet raised an eyebrow at that, "At some point we need to go through those dreams of yours. You are right though, Alexander and his pack are all werewolves." Bella looked out into the forest, which suddenly seemed much more ominous, "How can we possibly hope to defend ourselves if Alexander is after us?" At that Amaunet looked back towards the house, "I need to talk with the Cullens about that. I cannot say more until I do." Both John and Bella scowled at that. Every time they got one question answered new ones arose.

Not long after the two vampires returned. Both of them were dressed differently and much more sated and at ease. As they approached the group Bella's insecurity returned and she averted her eyes. She needed to apologies, "About before. Alice I am so sorry." she started, but Alice stopped her, "I am fine Bella. Really." She gave Bella a small smile, then continued, "We need to sit down and have a talk about what it means to be a vampire." She looked towards Amaunet, "If you don't mind, I think Rose and I can manage that on our own." Amaunet nodded, "I guess that is my cue to leave then." She hesitated, but then added, "I suggest you speak with John and Bella about the Quileute as well." John and Bella looked at the retreating fey in confusion and alarm while Rosalie sighed.

After Bella and John had found a place to sit in Alice's room Alice began to explain, "You know we are vampires and we have told you that we only drink animal blood. But we still have a strong craving for human blood. Jasper and Edward are the two most strongly affected by your blood. Jasper, because he just recently changed… diet. Edward is drawn to your blood, so that completely offsets his experience. Emmett, Esme, Alice, and I are not affected much and can stand to be around you for longer durations. But close proximity or an open wound will draw us regardless. Carlisle is older and has more experience than us, he is barely affected by human blood." Alice gave Bella a small encouraging smile before Rosalie continued the explanation, "As you might know we are stronger and faster than you. We don't need to sleep much, we don't age and we are difficult to kill. This is all due to the mutation of our genes. Charlie will be much better to explain that, but from what I gather it has to do with a rapid regrowth of our cells. This also means that we have no need for our lungs and heart." The twins tried to process all the information given. Bella hesitated but asked, "How do you become a vampire?" Rosalie answered, "You will turn from a bite. If you aren't drained of your blood or otherwise disposed of the mutation will start." John asked "So you could make us vampires?" This made both vampires grimace, Alice decided to give them a straight answer "Yes we can. But we need time. I need for my ability to tell us if it is a good idea or not. And our family is split on the… ethics of turning you." John couldn't help but feel offended, "Isn't that our choice to make? With these enemies around us, how is waiting in our best interest?" Alice sighed, "Amaunet agrees with you. She told us that if she could she would have turned you." Rosalie cut in, "You shouldn't be too quick at trusting her though. There is no good or evil in the real world. You need to understand what drives and motivates people to understand what angle they are going to play for. Amaunet has completely blind sighted us, and we have no idea what is her intent. With Alice's ability there is a chance we can protect ourselves, but we can't be sure." This didn't really explain it to John so he asked, "Why would changing us not help us regardless of Amaunet's intensions?" Alice looked at both of them with a great deal of sympathy, "You are still new to all of this, so I understand why you ask. In short; you can be controlled through your need of blood and you will be more exposed and visibly to supernatural beings than what you are now. You will create enemies just being a vampire, so you will need a coven to guide and protect you."

They were suddenly interrupted by Emmett opening the door before leaving just as quickly again. Rosalie put a finger in front of her mouth in a shushing manor. Then she mouthed 'Trouble, quiet' as she slowly led the twins over into the bed and covered them up. Next thing they heard was aerosols being sprayed all over the room. A note was put under the cover to them reading, 'We got company. Three. They are not friendly. We will be here protecting you, so stay hidden.' Regardless of how hard Bella and John tried, they couldn't hear anything. Another note was passed, 'The other five of our family is out there talking with them. They claim to be nomads and just came to greet us before continuing to Canada.' The twins could feel the bed shift as someone was sitting down gently next to them. Then a hand started slowly gave each of their shoulder a squeeze, followed by another note, 'Try to relax.' A few moments later the covers was removed and the twins was met by Alice smiling face, "You did good. They are gone." John got out of the bed and sat down in one of the chairs, while Bella sat up in the bed. Alice came and sat down on the bed with her, but kept her distance. Rosalie started to explain about their unexpected visitors. "Those three are bad news, they will most likely stay around here for a while before they continue north. James and Victoria are more than four centuries old, while Laurent is younger. We have crossed paths a few times before, and it always leads to tense confrontations. To make matters worse the two older vampires have abilities as well." John asked, "I don't suppose they are… vegetarians, so the people who died?" Alice looked at him solemnly, "They are likely the attackers." Bella voiced her concern, "So will they be after us now?" Alice looked to Rosalie who answered, "If we stay away from you, they will likely not distinguish you from other humans. If we keep protecting you they will come after you." The two vampires looked towards the living room, then Alice sighed and Rosalie looking at the twins said, "We will need to discuss this in our family. You should think it over too."

As the four of them left Alice's room and went through the living room Carlisle approached them and spoke up, "We will protect you for now. At least until a final decision is made. I need to speak with Rose, so Alice and Emmett will drive you home." Suddenly John remembered Amaunet mentioning Billy and Jacob's family and asked, "Why did Amaunet mention the Quileute family?" The vampires surrounding them gave a collective sigh, then Carlisle said, "The short version is that the Quileute is a tribe of shape shifters. They are descendants of Amun, but they have mutated in part because of the werewolves." Rosalie added, "We are not allowed on their land, this includes La Push. So if we keep protecting you, you can't go there." Both of the twins was shocked, "So Jacob is a shape shifter?" John finally asked. Alice nodded, "He will be, the genes are dormant until they reach maturity." John snickered, "That might take a while." He was rewarded an elbow by Bella for that remark.

As Emmett was driving them home Alice, sitting in the passenger seat turned to the two, she smiled at them reassuringly "We will have the talk while you sleep tonight. I will do my best to convince the others to stay here with you." Bella looked at Alice concerned, she didn't like the way things had turned out. She was torn between wanting to go back to her old life and explore this new and dangerous one. "And if you decide against staying?" Alice smile faded, "Then we will have to leave tonight." Both John and Bella was shocked. Emmett picked up the conversation and continued, "It is for your own good. James's coven will be lurking around the area. If they see any of us around you they might get interested in you and try something." John was angry, "So we have nothing to say in this matter? Either you are here tomorrow to escort us to school or you have run off to Mexico?" Alice looked at him remorsefully but couldn't find the words to say anything. She looked to Emmett before turning back around in her seat downtrodden. Emmett answered, "We would probably travel to Alaska. This is something that can potentially endanger our family, so we will need to come to agreement in the family first." Alice had shrunk further in her seat to a point where Bella could no longer really see her at all. Bella whipped a stray tear from her eye and looked out of her window. She sighed looking at the grey and dull sky, it reflected her current mood, "Please don't leave without saying goodbye." She simply stated, and felt John's comforting hand on her shoulder. As they arrived at the house and Bella got out of the car she heard Alice's barely audible voice, "I won't."

A/N: So, are the Cullens leaving? What (if any) relationship(s) do you see in the following chapters?


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